D-League Notes: New Rules, Henry, Obekpa
The D-League is a prime venue for the NBA to test out the viability and effectiveness of new rules and procedures. The league announced a number of experimental rule changes that will be in place when the 2016/17 D-League campaign kicks off (h/t to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today). We listed those below, along with some other news regarding the D-League:
- Each team will be entitled to a “Reset Timeout” in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter and final two minutes of any overtime period. “Reset Timeouts” do not allow teams to huddle, but otherwise mirror standard timeouts, allowing teams to advance the ball (when applicable) and make unlimited substitutions. If either team huddles or prevents the ball from immediately being put back into play, it will result in a delay of game being issued to the offending team. The “Reset Timeout” replaces the “Advance Rule” which has been in use in the D-League the past two seasons.
- A 75-second limit on the duration of instant replay reviews has been implemented, except in circumstances where the review is for a hostile act or altercation, could lead to an ejection, there is a technical equipment problem or other atypical circumstances.
- The 24-second clock will reset to 14 seconds after an offensive rebound or when the offensive team is the first team to retain possession after the ball contacts the rim.
- Xavier Henry, who was waived by the Bucks in September, has signed a contract with the Santa Cruz Warriors as a returning player, Adam Johnson of D-League Digest tweets.
- Undrafted free agent Chris Obekpa will join Santa Cruz as an affiliate player for the Warriors, Johnson relays (on Twitter).
- Shooting guard Elijah Millsap, who spent time last season overseas with the Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv, has signed a D-League contract with the Northern Arizona Suns, Johnson tweets.
- Perry Ellis, who was waived by the Hornets on Saturday, is joining Charlotte’s D-League affiliate, Johnson relays (via Twitter).
Eastern Conference Salary Rankings: Power Forwards
Hoops Rumors is in the process of ranking the salaries, separated by conference, for each NBA player by position. We’ve already looked at the point guards, shooting guards, small forwards, power forwards and centers of the Western Conference and we’ve now turned our attention toward the East, by running down the conference’s point guards, shooting guards and small forwards. Next up — the power forwards.
All told, the teams in the east have committed a total of $320,799,791 in cap hits this season to the men who man the four spot. The average conference salary for power forwards this season is currently $5,832,723, with Chris Bosh topping the list with $23,741,060 to account for on his year-end W-2 form.
It should be noted that teams won’t necessarily pay out every dollar listed here. There are quite a few players who have non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts. Some of those players won’t make it out of the preseason, while others will be sweating it out until January 10th. That’s when teams must waive players with no specific guarantee date written into their contracts to avoid having to guarantee their salaries for the rest of the season. In addition, incentive clauses that a player either triggers or fails to meet can leave a player with more or less money than his cap hit reflects. Still, the purpose of this list is to show the relative pay scale by position, which is why all contracts are included in this post.
I should also add that not every player listed below will play at power forward this season, as some will likely see some time at center. To maintain uniformity, I used their positions listed on the teams’ official rosters to determine which list to include them on. So if you see a player who isn’t expected to play the four for his team this season listed below, that’s why.
The Eastern Conference’s power forwards are listed below, in descending order of salary:
- Chris Bosh [Heat] —$23,741,060
- Kevin Love [Cavs] —$21,165,675
- Paul Millsap [Hawks] — $20,072,033
- Thaddeus Young [Pacers] — $14,153,652
- John Henson [Bucks] —$12,267,606
- Serge Ibaka [Magic] —$12,250,000
- Marvin Williams [Hornets] — $12,250,000
- Amir Johnson [Celtics] — $12,000,000
- Jon Leuer [Pistons] — $10,991,957
- Mirza Teletovic [Bucks] —$10,500,000
- Trevor Booker [Nets] — $9,250,000
- Taj Gibson [Bulls] — $8,950,000
- Channing Frye [Cavs] —$7,806,971
- Markieff Morris [Wizards] —$7,400,000
- Aron Baynes [Pistons] — $6,500,000
- Spencer Hawes [Hornets] — $6,348,759
- Andrew Nicholson [Wizards] —$6,088,993
- Patrick Patterson [Raptors] —$6,050,000
- Josh McRoberts [Heat] —$5,782,450
- Nikola Mirotic [Bulls] — $5,782,450
- Jared Sullinger [Raptors] —$5,628,000
- Luis Scola [Nets] — $5,500,000
- Jabari Parker [Bucks] —$5,374,320
- Cody Zeller [Hornets] — $5,318,313
- Jonas Jerebko [Celtics] — $5,000,000
- Jason Smith [Wizards] —$5,000,000
- Marcus Morris [Pistons] — $4,625,000
- Derrick Williams [Heat] —$4,598,000
- Nerlens Noel [Sixers] —$4,384,490
- Aaron Gordon [Magic] —$4,351,320
- Kristaps Porzingis [Knicks] —$4,317,720
- Lavoy Allen [Pacers] — $4,000,000
- Udonis Haslem [Heat] —$4,000,000
- Kris Humphries [Hawks] — $4,000,000
- James Johnson [Heat] —$4,000,000
- Kyle O’Quinn [Knicks] —$3,918,750
- Mike Scott [Hawks] — $3,333,334
- Justin Hamilton [Nets] — $3,000,000
- Thon Maker [Bucks] —$2,568,600
- Myles Turner [Pacers] — $2,463,840
- Henry Ellenson [Pistons] — $1,704,120
- Chris Andersen [Cavs] —$1,551,659
- Bobby Portis [Bulls] — $1,453,680
- Jordan Mickey [Celtics] —$1,223,653
- Chris McCullough [Nets] — $1,191,480
- Rakeem Christmas [Pacers]— $1,052,342
- Richaun Holmes [Sixers] —$1,025,831
- Anthony Bennett [Nets] — $1,015,696
- Mike Muscala [Hawks] — $1,015,696
- Willie Reed [Heat] —$1,015,696
- Arinze Onuaku [Magic] — $980,431
- Cristiano Felicio [Bulls] — $874,636
- Christian Wood [Hornets] — $874,636
- Danuel House [Wizards] —$543,471
Western Notes: Stephenson, Goodwin, McGee
Lance Stephenson hung on to snag the Pelicans‘ final regular season roster spot, beating out Alonzo Gee, despite the fact that Gee had a fully guaranteed pact. Stephenson says his aim this season is to rebuild his reputation around the league, John Reid of The Times Picayune writes. ”My goal is to prove everybody wrong this year – work hard and show a different side of me,” Stephenson said. “Everybody got this expectation of me, I just want to show them a different side of me. I love the game, I just want to play ball. I can show that what I was doing for the Pacers, I can still do it. I just got to have an opportunity to be put in a position where I can do that.”
Stephenson also noted that he’s made a determined effort to get to know his Pelicans teammates and bond with them, something he hasn’t always done in the past, Reid adds. ”Teams that I’ve been on, I really didn’t [talk] to my teammates, I talked to them a little bit but,” Stephenson said. ”But this time, I was really, ‘Hi are you doing to today, what you do yesterday’ and stuff like that. It’s like being a rookie again, everybody got this image of me that’s a straight lie.”
Here’s more from out West:
- The Suns were trying to trade Archie Goodwin, who was waived on Monday, but when they were unable to find a taker, the team was forced to release him in order to pare its roster down for the regular season, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports.
- JaVale McGee is overjoyed at landing the 15th and final roster spot on the Warriors to start the regular season, Monte Poole of CSNBayArea.com relays. “I’m just happy, blessed, to have this chance,” McGee told Poole. “I’m starting to figure out what the coaches want from me, and I’m starting to execute it. Everything is going well.”
- The Clippers are still trying to fill their void at small forward, which has been a weak spot on the team for the past few seasons, Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times writes. Luc Mbah a Moute, Wesley Johnson and Alan Anderson are all competing for the starting job, but none of them has heard much from coach Doc Rivers about who will get the bulk of the minutes at the position, Turner adds.
Eastern Notes: Bayless, Kelly, Young
Jerryd Bayless was penciled in as the Sixers‘ opening night starter at point guard, but he’ll be in street clothes for at least the first month of the season while he recovers from a torn ligament in his left wrist, team sources told Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. The team announced last week that Bayless would not have surgery on his wrist, but did not put a timetable on his return to action, Goodman notes. Bayless signed a three-year deal with Philly this summer after averaging 10.4 points and 3.1 assists with Milwaukee in 2015/16.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Hornets forward Frank Kaminsky is out of the walking boot he was required to wear after straining his right foot during Charlotte’s final preseason contest on Friday, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. His status for the team’s regular season opener is still undetermined, Bonnell adds. “He said he felt a lot better,” coach Steve Clifford said of Kaminsky. “He did a ton [of rehabilitation] Sunday and then he was back in here this morning. I guess you’d call him questionable [for the season-opener], but he’s making lots of progress.”
- Celtics executive Danny Ainge confirmed that Ryan Kelly, who was waived by the team on Saturday, will be joining the Maine Red Claws, Boston’s D-League affiliate, Goodman tweets.
- Ainge also weighed in on James Young, who barely made the Celtics‘ regular season roster this season by edging out R.J. Hunter for the 15th and final spot. The executive told Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com, “I told him [Young] this morning that I think this is the first time he’s earned anything in his life. He earned this by his play, day in and day out, and he just has to keep earning it. He was given a lot as a young kid, with a lot of promise and a lot of potential and … he had to come out and win a spot with some good competition, and he did. So he just needs to keep doing what he’s been doing.“
- Pistons shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is eligible to sign an extension prior to this season’s deadline, but all signs point to him playing out the season and hitting restricted free agency next summer, as Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press explains.
- Entering his third season in New York, this may be team president Phil Jackson‘s last chance to turn around the team, which is no lock, given the multiple roster and health questions surrounding the Knicks, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes.
- The Hawks enter the season with just two point guards on the roster, a move the team made because of injuries suffered in the frontcourt, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. “With the injuries, the few nagging things on the front line, at the end of the day you are probably going to be a little short on the bigs or a little short on the point guard,” coach/executive Mike Budenholzer said. “We are going with an extra big, more cover on the bigs.”
League, NBPA Nearing Agreement To Extend CBA By Seven Years
The NBA and NPBA are working on a seven-year extension to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, with a mutual opt-out in six years, league sources informed Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. The seven-year deal could result in NBA labor peace through the 2023/24 season, unless the opt-outs are exercised in 2022, Wojnarowski adds. The new pact would begin starting next season. The league and the union have a mutual opt-out date for the current arrangement on December 15th, but this new CBA agreement should be finalized over the next few weeks, Wojnarowski notes.
One aspect the new CBA will alter is the amount of the mid-level exception, increasing the salary from its current value of $5.6MM for a season to approximately $8MM, Marc Stein of ESPN.com relays (via Twitter). Wojnarowski, in a previous piece, relayed a number of the other aspects of the new CBA that are being worked on, which include:
- The NBA and union have tentatively agreed to change the 36-and-over rule that now prohibits players from signing a five-year maximum contract if their 36th birthday occurs within the life of the deal, Wojnarowski relayed. Under the new CBA, the age will be bumped to 38-and-over, which would have significant financial implications for superstars in the twilight of their careers.
- The league’s Basketball Related Income (BRI) split will remain unchanged in a new agreement, league sources told the scribe. The players receive a share in the range of 49 to 51% of the current BRI.
- The NBA will raise rookie-scale, veteran minimum and free-agent exception deals in the new agreement, per Wojnarowski’s sources. Rises in those salaries could come in the 50% range over current numbers, according to the article.
- The NBA will keep its “one-and-done” rule with college basketball, retreating on its original desire to make college players wait two years after high school graduation to become eligible for the NBA draft, writes Wojnarowski.
- Two-way contracts between the NBA and NBA D-League will offer teams the chance to add 16th and 17th roster spots, and pay players differently based upon their assignments in either the league’s minor league or as part of the parent team, league sources told the Vertical scribe.
Pistons Claim Udrih Off Waivers, Waive McCallum
5:50pm: Detroit has confirmed the moves via press release.
4:37pm: The Pistons have waived Ray McCallum to clear a roster spot for Udrih, Vincent Ellis of The Detroit Free Press reports (on Twitter).
4:17pm: The Pistons, who are in need of backcourt depth, have taken to the waiver wire to help fill that need, with the team claiming Beno Udrih off waivers from the Heat, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports (on Twitter). Detroit is now responsible for the veteran’s cap hit of $980,431 as a result of the claim, which gets Miami off the hook for that amount. With Udrih earning the veteran’s minimum this season, Detroit did not need to use an exception to add him to the team. Udrih’s actual salary for 2016/17 is approximately $1.5MM.
Udrih played 36 games with Miami last season before agreeing to a buyout in February to help the team avoid the luxury tax, which certainly gained him some fans within the organization. In those 36 games for the Heat last season, Udrih averaged 4.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 16.3 minutes per outing. He shot .434/.333/.882 from the field.
With starter Reggie Jackson likely sidelined until mid-November due to injury, Udrih will see minutes off the bench for Detroit.
Suns Exercise 2017/18 Options On Booker, Warren
The Suns have officially exercised their 2017/18 options for guard Devin Booker and forward T.J. Warren, the team announced. Booker will earn $2,319,36 in what will be the third year of his rookie scale contract, while Warren will make $3,152,931 in what will be the fourth year of his current deal.
Booker was an NBA All-Rookie First Team selection in 2015/16 after making 76 appearances, including 51 starts, averaging 13.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 27.7 minutes per outing. His shooting line was .423/.343/.840. The 19-year-old ranked fifth in the NBA in scoring this preseason, averaging 19.6 points in five appearances, including a 34-point performance at Portland on October 7th.
Warren, 23, made 47 appearances for Phoenix a season ago, averaging 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.9 assists on 22.8 minutes. His slash line on the campaign was .501/.400/.703. The third-year player started all six of the Suns’ preseason games, averaging 12.5 points on 46.6 percent shooting and 4.2 rebounds.
Kings Waive Jordan Farmar, Isaiah Cousins
The Kings have officially waived guards Jordan Farmar and Isaiah Cousins, the team announced via press release. Sacramento will be on the hook for $100K for Cousins, who had a partially guaranteed deal, unless he is claimed off waivers by another team.
The team also released its opening night roster, which includes 15 players. No mention was made of Lamar Patterson, who was reportedly re-signed by Sacramento on Friday. It’s unclear if the signing never occurred, the player was already waived or the deal is still pending.
Farmar, who will turn 30 in November, has played more than 500 regular-season games over the course of his nine-year NBA career, though he appeared in just 12 games last season. In those contests, Farmar averaged 9.2 PPG, 3.1 APG and 1.3 SPG. However, his production dipped in the playoffs, as he shot just 32.3% from the floor during the club’s first-round loss to San Antonio.
Cousins (no relation to DeMarcus) is a 6’6″ shooting guard out of Oklahoma who became the second-last player selected in this year’s draft. In his final year with the Sooners, Cousins averaged 12.6 PPG, 4.5 APG, 4.5 RPG, and 1.4 SPG in 37 contests. The senior also shot 41.1% on three-point attempts and made nearly two of them per game — his shooting percentage was better on three-pointers than on two-pointers for a second consecutive season.
Cavs Waive Dahntay Jones
The Cavs have officially waived forward Dahntay Jones, the team announced. The veteran’s deal included no guaranteed salary, so Cleveland won’t be on the hook for any funds as a result of the move.
Jones, 35, has career averages of 5.4 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 623regular season contests. His slash line is .439/.331/.751.
This reduces the team’s roster count to 15 players, which is the regular season maximum. It also means that DeAndre Liggins has made the team.
Grizzlies Waive Matt Costello
The Grizzlies have officially waived Matt Costello, the team announced via press release. It’s unclear if Costello’s deal included any guaranteed salary that the team will be responsible for, as contract details have not been relayed for the initial signing.
Costello was waived by the Hawks last Monday and inked by the Grizzlies on Thursday. The undrafted rookie out of Michigan State averaged 4.0 points and 3.5 rebounds in 9.0 minutes during his two preseason appearances with Atlanta.
Memphis also confirmed the previously-reported release of Jordan Adams, so the team’s roster now stands at 15 players, which is the regular season maximum.